Why are bargains so beloved in the hearts and minds of American consumers?  What makes new arrivals at Loehmanns or those giant palettes at Costco so appealing?   And why does the promise of a friends and family discount lure even the most jaded chicette?

In a city where designer sample sales draw fashionistas like geeks to a Lifehacker update  and double-points days spawn a flurry of cryptic text messages (tapped out in Chanel's Black Satin, of course!), stylish Los Angelinos think nothing of forcing our ways onto the Billion Dollar Babes VIP list or camping outside the Beverly Center for H&M's highly anticipated opening.

The answer to these questions seems deceptively simply and blatantly complex.  As a trend analyst, I'm passionate about tracking shifts in the consumer psyche and identifying emerging tendencies on the West Coast.  When my inbox chokes with frenzied e-blasts announcing premium denim discounts in Vegas, champagne previews at Barneys and the promise of valuable goodie bags in the OC, I'm sniffing the Jo Malone scented air for the next big trend!

The truth is, getting a bargain is actually linked to another more esoteric phenomenon – the American dream.  You see, in this society of upwardly mobile lifestyle questers, status goods are the currency of success.  Achieving the American dream means transcending the barriers, getting past the economic red rope and letting the whole world know.  And in LA, if we've got it we flaunt it.  It's all about showing what we've got and signaling to our peers that we've arrived.

No wonder then, that big box collaborations with big time designers have never been more successful.  Imagine, an Isaac Mizrahi couture dress at Target for $49 or Karim Rashid's ridiculously affordable conical sculpture for Dirt Devil.  Picture Abaete designer Laura Poretzky selling shoes at Payless and Jade Jagger furnishing your next condo.  None of these high/low ventures would be so compelling if we didn't respond so well to a bargain.

It stands to reason that access to these coveted goods at a discount represents a shortcut.  A sale or a bargain means getting ahead - attaining the status symbols more easily.  It's like running a red light or cutting in line.  It's a guilty pleasure, a triumphant victory and a secret edge.  And for most ambitious, style savvy and discerning consumers, this is very seductive indeed!

Craving another dose of consumer insight?  Read my style blog, TrendAgitator.com and watch for upcoming trend and branding seminars on the FBI events calendar.  To learn more about tracking trends in your business, email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

- Debra Stevenson